Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-05-06
The Miller's Daughter.
BY FRANCES r. SNOW.

thought most atrociously dull fellow
when we were in college together, but
he has now suddenly burst upon the
world as a genus! Every one was as
tonished at this sudden outbreak of
genius, and rather fancy that he was
astonished himself! He had a singu-
lar expression the day I met him and
congratulated him on his success.
Il should never have thought it of
you, my boy!' exclaimed with genu-
inc heartiness.
$50 every one tells me-" he answer
ed. ''Well, was surprised myself"
We shook hands and parted 1 went
home, sat down by the fire and read
his novel again.
Its title was THE Miller's Daughter,
and it was certainly charming story.
In my youthful days I remember
ballad of Thalberg's that was great
favorite Of mine: THE M,ller's Love
ly Daughter It was written in q
minor key; all sorts OF odd sharps and
flats came into it, and gave it all sorts
Of odd twists and melancholy little
turns. 1t was enchanting'y sad, and
quite remember the air. My daughter,
who is musical, SCOTS at me and my
''Miller's Lovely Daughter" and she
says no such piece of music Gas sung
and described by meg was ever written.
But it began like this:
'"rhe Miller s-tu'n, lovely-ti, daugh-
III t1JU1 ri f1Joy1 ri foeH,
and so on like that. Any one who had
ever heard it would recognize the air
from this description. Now Herbert
Strange must have had this ballad in
his mind when he wrote his celebrated
novel of the THE Miller's Daughter
and made up my mind to write a
story of the same name, and make N.Y.
self famous by it, as he had made him
self.
So one day when was kept at home
from my office by Il bad cold, 1 set my
self to the task, and began to write
con an,ore, l argued in this way:
Strange had made his heroine blonde;
mine of course must be brunette. His
hero was dark; my hero must he fair.
His miller was grutf; quarrelsome, my
miller must be bland and polished,
and so on through the whole thing ad
Nditum.
locked myself in my study and be-
THE MILLER'S DAUGHTER.
lin these times when everything
changes, one thing at least remains
unchanged. This is an old mill in
German or rather Tyrolian village Tor
x,s11o ~. oE &I>o Tv~oN Tho t~nn ~
tbe blue Danube rush whirling past the
Old mill, but its gray walls stand like
tpte. grim and ironical, and no assaults
Of the river have any effect on it's rug
Eed masonry. The mill wheel is COW
cred thick with moss and river weeds;
1t no longer revolves with clash and
din as In the olden time. 1t stands
alone, dark, silent and solitary"
This struck me as most happy and
suspicious beginning, and my pen was
already lowering over the paper to
communicate to it the inspiration that
flowed from my brain, when tap
came on my study door, and my wife's
voice asked for admittance in an in
jured tone
! Cannot come in, my dear; awfully
busy!' answered cheerfuly.
my dear, must come in,'' she re.
iterated.
my dear, you cannot" returned,
still cheerfully.
''But indeed Henry, I must see you.
The cook says her mothers brother is
dying. and that she must have her wa
dollars"
Impossible, my dear. Tell her
that her mothers brother will die just
! as happily whether she has her wages
or not. cannot stop writing for such
tritle as that. Absurd! Ridiculous''
but, my dear, the woman is in
quite rage about it. She has broken
two china bowls and i water pitcher"
''Let her break the whole china clos
et,' I roared, IF she likes; but do
not interrupt me again. my love. Go
away beg of you" ~, @.z
"But what can you be writing that is
so very important" called my wife.
THE Miller's Daughter, shouted
in passion. Nh Is. ,s1a=#s ~
The miller's what, my dearp'
The Miller Daughter, a novel, a
novelette,; at least 1 could write it. if
you would let me stay in peace,
just tell the cook to 90 to the-I mean
the wake" .=
"But. my love, her mothers brother
is not dead yet, even. so it is not the
wake she asks to go to. She wants her
wages, twenty dollars, Henry dear.
i. Such little sum, and know that you
have it on hand.' Il,
! hastily opened the door. crushed
I twenty dollar bill into my wife
hand, and then shut the door with a
/ good deal of vehemence. Then re-
summed my pen, leaned my forehead on
! my hand. but the train of ideas had
vanished
AT last l slowly resumed thus: d
The miller who in old times owned
this mill. had daughter whose beauty
/ was the subject Of talk among the
whole country: her smiling merry eyes.
her wealth Of hair, known 10 be al her
own, her graceful and buxom figure.
her skill in playing on the zither. her
playful badInage when attending the
little festivities Of the peasants. made
her adoreri and loved by all AT he2rt
she was somewhatof q coquette, and
Sis 4 amused her to send many 4 loYelorn
swain from the door Of the mill house
with angry brow and heart broken
mien. No one knew save sher aged
I grandmoth er, which the favored was.
i The grandmother had been 4 ! noted
4 3 beauty IN her day. and IN looking at
u her beautiful grand aughtsr, i seemed
/ g hef that she renewed her own youth
when her now aged husband had bepn
] conrting her. s
- .,H,s